10/14/2026
❤️🐾 THE STORY OF AVERY’S PAWSITIVE CHANGE 🐾❤️
One year without Avery. A lifetime of carrying her love forward.
Today, October 14th, marks one year without my Avery. I always try and do a story of something you might now know about Avery on the 14th of each month. 💔 There will be a few posts today as I honor her, her beautiful heart, and the legacy she left behind. But I wanted to share something that many of you may not know… how Avery’s Pawsitive Change actually began.
A few months before Avery was diagnosed with cancer, there was a local baking contest, and the winner would receive $25. We decided to bake brownies, although I’m pretty sure we ate half the batter before they ever made it into the oven! 😂🍫
And guess what? SHE WON!
I suggested that she take her $25 to Walmart, buy five $5 gift cards, and send them to random animal shelters she could find on Google. So that’s exactly what we did.
And she absolutely LOVED it! ❤️
We started telling people what she was doing, and something beautiful began to happen. People started giving her $5 to send to another shelter. Neighbors and friends joined in, and before we knew it, something much bigger than we ever imagined was beginning.
That’s when we created the name Avery’s Pawsitive Change.
Avery wanted to make a difference. She wanted to help as many animal shelters as possible, even if all she could do was send a little bit. She understood that even a small gift could buy a bag of food and make a difference in an animal’s life.
She never thought she had to do something BIG to matter. She just wanted to help.
As time went on, we helped more and more shelters. Then Avery was diagnosed with cancer, and even that couldn’t stop her giving heart. Through countless hours and days spent in hospitals, this little mission gave her something to look forward to. It kept her mind busy, gave her a purpose, and made her feel on top of the world.
Even through everything she was going through, she was still thinking about helping others. That was Avery. ❤️
By the time we finished that chapter of our journey, we had sent out over 4,000 Walmart gift cards, totaling more than $25,000, and reached every animal shelter we could find on Google across the United States!
Just think about that for a minute. A little girl who won a $25 baking contest turned that small prize into thousands of acts of kindness.
And then, an amazing person walked into our lives and helped us turn Avery’s dream into an official nonprofit.
And here we are today. 🐾❤️
Avery’s Pawsitive Change has grown into something beyond what I ever could have imagined. Today, we are helping thousands of pets and their families, partnering with food pantries, and finding new ways to make sure hungry dogs and cats have full bowls.
We are continuing the dream Avery started so many years ago, and we are still finding new ways to grow it.
Sometimes I sit back and think about how all of this started with $25, five little gift cards, and a girl who simply wanted to make a difference.
If Avery could see what her little idea has become, I can only imagine the smile on her face. I know she would be so excited to see how many more animals we can help and how many more people have joined her mission.
And honestly, I have YOU to thank for so much of that. ❤️
To everyone who has stood beside us from the beginning, to everyone who has found us along the way, to every donor, volunteer, pantry partner, friend, and supporter who believes in Avery’s dream, THANK YOU.
Thank you for believing in her. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for helping us turn heartbreak into something that continues to bring kindness into this world.
And to those who are just finding us, or those we haven't met yet, I hope you'll become part of Avery's story, too. There is still so much more we want to do, so many more pets to feed, and so many more lives to touch.
I may have to live the rest of my life without my girl beside me, but I will never stop carrying her dream forward. Her life was about kindness, compassion, and making a difference, even in the smallest ways.
Avery’s story didn’t end when we lost her. In so many ways, it was only the beginning. 🪽❤️
Today marks one year without my girl, but her love is still here. It's in every bag of pet food, every pantry we partner with, every hungry pet we help, and every person who chooses kindness because of her.
And as long as I am here, I will keep going. I will keep growing this little dream of hers, because no pet should go hungry, and because Avery deserves to see her legacy live on through the good we do.
Avery’s Pawsitive Change. Avery’s Legacy Lives On. Forever 18. 🐾❤️🪽
